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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953357">Mother Duck</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shin Sangokumusou | Dynasty Warriors</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>also zhong hui has a fear of ducks because they try and eat his ugly-ass ponytail, jia chong takes care of baby ducks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 14:56:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jia Chong had never thought of himself as a “fatherly” type.</p><p>He was cold and calculating and often cruel, something that wasn’t particularly wanted in a parent. He was also frightening to most small children (as demonstrated by Sima Zhao’s young son a few months ago), so he didn’t have that going for him either.</p><p>Which was why he was quite surprised when a group of ducklings seemed to warm up to him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jia Chong/Zhong Hui if you really really REALLY squint</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is an alternate universe where his real kids don't exist<br/>they just don't</p><p>also i refer to jia chong by his full name (unlike the other characters) because it feels weird to just say "chong"<br/>if you get what i mean</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jia Chong had never thought of himself as a “fatherly” type. </p><p>He was cold and calculating and often cruel, something that wasn’t particularly wanted in a parent. He was also frightening to most small children (as demonstrated by Sima Zhao’s young son a few months ago), so he didn’t have that going for him either.</p><p>Which was why he was quite surprised when a group of ducklings seemed to warm up to him.</p><p>He had been sitting, cross-legged, by the edge of a pond, when a small yellow bird had waddled up to him and decided to make itself at home in the small area between his foot and his leg.</p><p>After staring at it for a few seconds, he gently pushed the duckling away.</p><p>“You should stay with your family,” he said, even though he knew the duckling wasn’t going to understand a single word. The duckling just blinked at him and tried to waddle back towards his foot, but he pushed it away again. “Stop it.”</p><p><i>No,</i> was what the duckling would have probably said if it spoke Chinese. It evaded his hand and practically ran towards him, nestling by his foot.</p><p>Jia Chong sighed. He picked up the duckling and stood up, looking around to see if he could potentially find a family of ducks this one might belong to. Finally spotting five small ducklings nearby, he brought the one he was carrying over to the others and bent down, letting it walk off of his hand.</p><p>“Don’t go too far away from your family,” he said to it, turning around and walking away. </p><p>———</p><p>He was almost back to the main camp and saw Sima Zhao talking with Wang Yuanji and Zhong Hui. Zhao saw him and waved, and then Hui asked, “What in the name of <i>Tian</i> are those things behind you, Gonglü?”</p><p>“What things?”</p><p>“Those.” Hui pointed behind him, looking down by his feet. Jia Chong turned and saw that the six yellow ducklings from before were following him. They looked up at him expectantly, as if wondering what they were supposed to do next.</p><p>“Are those … ducklings?” Yuanji asked, her tone suggesting that she was smiling. “Where did you find those?”<br/>
“I didn’t. One wanted to sleep by my leg earlier but I brought it back to the others.”</p><p>“I guess they followed you, then,” Zhao said, shrugging. “Well, it looks like you’re a dad now.” </p><p>He and Hui snickered at the surprised look on Jia Chong’s face. Yuanji gave them a glare, then knelt down to pet one of the ducklings. Jia Chong had to awkwardly step to the side to get out of the way for her, but the ducklings just followed his movements. </p><p>“What, are you scared to be a father to six bird babies?” Hui asked. “I’m glad I’m not in your position, because—“</p><p>“<i>The Chosen One</i> doesn’t babysit ducklings?” Yuanji finished.</p><p>“Yes, exactly. Well, best of luck to you, Gonglü!” Hui strode off, only pausing when Jia Chong called back, “Thanks, <i>Shiji</i>.”</p><p>“Don’t call me Shiji!” screeched Hui, whipping around and giving Jia Chong a glare. Jia Chong just chuckled and waved him away, watching him stomp off.</p><p>———</p><p>Taking care of ducklings was both a nightmare and surprisingly easy.</p><p>For one, these things were surprisingly vicious. They tore up part of a couch and ripped a hole in the carpet before Jia Chong found an area in his house to confine them around the clock. Anyone who came over asked if he had a particularly toothy rabbit when they saw the damage, and were quite surprised when his answer was, “No, it was the work of six baby ducks.”</p><p>He didn’t even understand how they could wreck shit up if they didn’t even have teeth until he was informed by Yuanji that they had sharp bristles in their mouths to help them eat. </p><p>Giving them food was actually easy. These ducklings seemed to take a liking to meat, which was pretty easy to get. By Jin law, they also had to consume a few meatbuns, which they seemed to enjoy as well.</p><p>Jia Chong’s friends were enjoying his ownership of the ducklings. Every day at least one person would come into his house, sometimes to help him, sometimes to just talk with him and hang out with the ducklings. </p><p>Yuanji and Zhao both were eager to help straight away. Hui was a little more hesitant, which Jia Chong found odd. It turned out he had a slight fear of ducks after getting bit by one as a kid, something he was very embarrassed to admit. </p><p>Not only that, the ducklings seemed to like eating his hair.That part Jia Chong was secretly glad about, partially because his hair was ugly, and partially because he had secretly taught the ducklings to treat things that were in someone’s hand as food. </p><p>Including hair.</p><p>When Hui had come over to help, Jia Chong had told him to turn around as he picked up a duckling and put it in his hand, grabbing the end of Hui’s ponytail along with it. The duckling started chewing on it, and Hui let out a blood-curdling scream once he saw what was happening.</p><p>After that he stood behind someone if the ducklings were in the same room.</p><p>———</p><p>“You know what you should do? You should let the ducklings come with you so they can meet the other officers,” Zhao suggested one afternoon as they were watching the ducklings.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because it’ll be fun. Also, imagine the look on Hui’s face when he sees them following you. He’s going to <i>die</i>.”<br/>
The two of them laughed at the thought, and Jia Chong thought it over.</p><p>“I guess I can bring them.”</p><p>———</p><p>The next morning, Jia Chong arrived at the main camp with six ducklings trailing behind him. </p><p>Zhao and Yuanji both ran over to him. </p><p>Hui backed himself into the corner farthest away from the entrance. </p><p>“I told you he would bring them!” Zhao said to the other officers nearby. “Come over, you can pet them! They’re so cute!”<br/>
Slowly, more officers walked over to see the ducklings. Zhuge Dan and Deng Ai seemed to really like them. Wen Yang didn’t like them, which was a problem because they all seemed to like <i>him</i> and crowded around him the first chance they got. </p><p>He joined Hui in the corner after ensuring Jia Chong was going to block the ducklings from walking over to them. </p><p>“Do they have a mom?” Dan asked as he held one in his arms. </p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“What if they do? What if you stole her babies? Are you going to take them back to where you found them one day?”</p><p>Everyone went quiet. They just looked at each other, and then at the ducklings, who seemed to realize something was wrong and hurried to sit with Jia Chong, probably thinking that he would protect them if this situation was dangerous. </p><p>“I guess I’ll have to,” was his final answer.</p><p>———</p><p>Jia Chong stood by the spot where he found the ducklings and waited. </p><p>A rustling in some bushes nearby startled him, and he turned to see a full-grown duck running over to the group of ducklings. The ducklings instantly left his side and ran to their mother, crowding around her.</p><p>He watched them as they walked away together.</p><p>They seemed happy. </p><p>It made his eyes water slightly, but he rubbed his tears away. He was getting emotional over some ducks. It was silly.</p><p>“Gonglü?”</p><p>Hui was standing behind him, twirling the lock of hair on his forehead around his finger. “The others are waiting for you. We should go back.” </p><p>“I’ll be there soon. You don’t have to wait.” </p><p>But he didn’t struggle as Hui gently tugged at his arm and started pulling him back anyway.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>yeeeeeah</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>time for a vv short vv niche thing i needed right now and i was like "yes. jia chong modern au. pet bird. he names it duck." </p><p>then i wrote this and didnt proofread it</p><p>perhaps one day i will flip back to the first chapter universe and write an epilogue where the ducks come back</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"gonglü, what pet are you going to get?"</p><p>sima zhao stared at the tiny puppies in awe. "if you get a pet dog i'll love you forever."</p><p>"get your own dog," jia chong answered. he was observing the other animals instead.</p><p>"shi's allergic and so is gongsi." zhao sighed and turned away from the puppies. "but what prt will <i>you</i> get?"</p><p>jia chong shrugged. "i don't know. maybe a cat. but yuanji did say that they were too problematic."</p><p>"that's because her cat is satan reincarnate. what about a lizard? dan had a lizard a while back, remember?" </p><p>"yeah, but then he dropped it into the toilet when taking a mirror selfie with it and refused to touch the toilet water, so he flushed it down the drain. i don't want something i can drop."</p><p>"if you're planning to copy him, i'm concerned."<br/>
zhao gazed around for a few seconds before tugging on jia chong's jacket sleeve. "what about this bird?" </p><p>jia chong turned to look at a small yellow canary in a tiny bird cage labeled <b>I DON'T HAVE A NAME - ADOPT ME AND GIVE ME ONE!</b> it stared back at him with a strange intensity that was definitely uncommon in most birds. </p><p>"maybe."</p><p>"that usually means yes so i'm guessing you like the bird."</p>
<hr/><p>jia chong walked out of the pet store with a small bird cage in his hand and a bag of care supplies in the other. zhao was at his heels, practically begging to hold the bird.</p><p>"you can the next time you visit," jia chong told him patiently, and zhao rolled his eyes. </p><p>"fiiiiiiiine."</p><p>they got into the car and zhao was about to put on his seatbelt when he asked, "by the way, what're you gonna name your bird."</p><p>there was silence for a few seconds before jia chong replied, "duck."</p><p>"so you're naming it after another bird? what the fuck?"</p><p>"it was the first thing that came to mind."</p><p>"you're weird."</p><p>jia chong chuckled. "you tell me that a lot."</p><p>"well, it's true! you're even naming a pet bird 'duck.' that's like naming a pet dog 'cat.'"</p><p>"at least i'm not naming it after another species altogether." </p><p>zhao just gave him a look and said, "gonglü, sometimes i think <i>you're</i> a different species altogether."</p><p>"don't we all."</p><p>"wait. what."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>lmao fUck this this was written in the night hours where no one is awake in the house except me myself and i</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>wow this got kinda angsty i'm sorry<br/>it wasn't supposed to be this way but you know me, i gotta make everything angsty somehow<br/>except for that one oneshot but yeah</p><p>please leave a comment letting me know what you thought!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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